Decomposer, particularly for the electrolysis of water under pressure



Ju y 1932- i H. NIEDERFIQEITHER 1,365,946

DECOMPOSER, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE Filed Aug. 15, 1950 Patented July 5, 1932 ms 01' HIGH, BGHAI'I' .IIT BES I exams, ama mum's; cream.- a: me, or mqanm,omanr naconosm, PARTICULARLY ron. m nmotxsrs or warm;

Application fled au m s, mo, Serial I6. 47am. and in m October a, me.

I Pressure decomposers, particularly when a compact form of construction is aimed at, have, as a rule a pressure-tight casing in the interior of WhlCll the parts which co-operate in the decomposition process are arranged, packed together as closely as possible, after the fashion of filter presses, for example. The hollow space between this internal structure and the pressure vessel is, according to 10 the present invention, filled up with an insulatin material, such as hydrocarbon (aspha t, parafiin wax or the like) which is v in a fluid state at least at the worln'ng temerature of the apparatus and in this state is is 'ghter than or heavier than the electrolyte. The internal structure cannot, in lpractice, be made so fluid-tight that electro will not leak through the joints where t e vari ous parts of the said structure abut one 10 against the other. Such leakage would cause the .hollow space between the inner structure and the pressurevesselto'become gradually filled with electrol and consequently the insulation of the mner structure 86 would disappear. If, however, the pressure decomposed be constructed according to this invention, anyelectrolyte leaking out from the internal structure will descen or ascend through the liquid insulating composition aosituated between said internal structure and p the pressure vessel, according as the 'insulat: ing composition has a lower or higher specific gravity than the electrol The declsive factors for the complete msulation'of the internal structure are therefore, that the insulating medium shall be liquid at least at the working temperature of the apparatus and that it shall be lighter than or heavier than the electrolyte when in this liquid state. The electrolyte which leaks outfrom the internal structure collects, after passing through the liquid insulating composition, either at the bottom or at the top thereof and can be run ofi bv cocks or the like from'the points where it has collected.

It is of course known per se to insulate the various parts of a pressure vessel from each other or from the electrolyte. On the other hand hydrocarbons of comparatively low 50 melting point, particularly paraflin wax and insulating media. They have,

"sen

' asphalt, parafin wax or the like, which, either asphalt have already been incommon use .as

7 however, always usedas sohd insulatin media, that is to say, at. temperatures which ie below their melting points. In high pressure decomposers only hard materials such as porcelam, hard rubber or the like have regularl been used exclusively as insulating me a. a

The .filling material introduced accordmg' to the present invention between the interna structure and the ressnre vessel must naturally possess atmg properties, but this does not by any means exhaust its functions, which Include, on the contrary, as above pointed out, the feature that the substance must be hqmd at working temperatures and must act while in this state as a means for the displacement of the liquid which has oozed out of the internal structure. It must hect r .tlea legees i es ab ve de- 'One of the numerous possible constructlonal forms of ap aratus in accordance with the mventlon is Illustrated, by way of ex ample, in the accompanying drawing which is a partlal longitudinal section.

In the interior of the. ressnre vessel a is located .the decomposer body 6 constructed it maybe, after the fashion of a filter press. Thus unit-b ma consist of a number of cylin drical bodies w ch abut against each other at the joints 0, which latter can only with considerable difliculty be kept perfectlyfluid tight. The electrolyte, which runs out at the leaky-places, would gradually fill up the space between the body 6 and the pressure vessel and, consequently would destroy the insulation of the various parts of the internal body 6 and also insulation of this body 6 from the pressure vessel (1.

' In order to prevent this the hollow space d 'is filled up, according to this invention, with an insulating medium such, for instance, as

at all times or, at least, at the working temperature of the pressure decomposer is liquid and, in this state, is lighter thanor heavier than the electrolyte. If the insulating filling composition in the space (I is lighter,

'the'e1ectrolyte whioh drips from the joints 0 collects at the bottom of the pressure vessel and can be continuously or periodically run oil? by means of the cock e. A vessel f for the supply of the electrolyte may be convemently provided and kept at the pressure prevailing in the inner structure b by suitable connections g and h.

What I claim is:

m The process of electrolyzing'an aqueous solution under high pressure. which consists in conducting the electrolysis in a decomposing chamber containing a hydrocarbon insulatmg means disposedbetween the walls of 15 such chamber and the groups of electrodes, the said hydrocarbon being in a liquid state at least at workin temperatures.

In testimony w ereof I.have aflixed my a signature. 2o HANS NIEDERREITHER. 

